While Googling for some info in the W120 Mercedes (180/190) unique platform-frame chassis, I encountered these photos of a curious prototype, designated W122, and featuring a rather suspiciously familiar looking headlight treatment, complete with the hooded headlight theme. My first thought ? A Mercedes-Benz plan to be a part of the Packard’s rejuvenation sometimes in the late 1950s? Or, at least, to capitalize on its hard earned legacy, which is still largely the same thing. Never going to happen in real life.
So, the year is 1956; just two years later the final Packard (umm, Packardbaker, but you all know the story) will roll off the assembly line, and Studebaker-Packard dealership network will be selling cars produced by Mercedes-Benz. Even after killing Packard outright, they still used its good name to attract clientele to these new offerings:
And now, just imagine that. The year is 1957 (or 1958), and a new car is on offer at Packard dealerships – the trim-sized Packard Clipper. Not just a new car, but a new kind of car – a compact luxury car which combines European size and ease of handling, a thoroughly sophisticated design and a build quality to match (or even exceed) the well-known Packard’s high standard of craftsmanship. In a few years, it is joined by a larger and even more advanced one (W111-based), as well as some custom-bodied sports cars (Facel-Vega sourced), with European flavor and American power to offer…
Well; the Germans from Mercedes-Benz would’ve never let it happen, wouldn’t they ? They even made Studebaker-Packard drop the plans of selling Facel-Vegas as Packards in a last-ditch effort to revive that once-glorious brand. Moreover – it is doubtful that the market was ready for such a concept as a compact luxury car in the late 1950s – even with all that newly found interest in smaller, imported cars during the Eisenhower recession. But at least they almost made a car which could’ve been a Packard in everything but name (quite unlike the 1957-58 Packards-in-name-only). Almost.
The W122 didn’t make it into production. The description of these photos blames the conflict of interests between the (small, but prospering) Mercedes-Benz and the recently-acquired (large, but almost bankrupt) Auto-Union/DKW in 1958 for that (sounds almost like the Packard-Studebaker story, doesn’t it ? But with quite the opposite end) – as well as the relative obsolesce of the W120 platform it was built upon, especially in contrast with the all-new W111 with its innovative and advanced safety features.
Anyway, in my opinion this concept front end treatment looks much better than the production W111’s one, with its ovoid-shaped headlights – not to mention the US-market version with stacked round headlights. Well, of course I may by biased as a long-time fan of both hooded headlights and Packard itself.
And, the Request ? If you didn’t know, that was a name given by Packard to one of its show-cars, which combined 1955 Packard’s hooded headlights with a grille inspired by the company’s cars from the glory days of the 1930’s. Just like the W122.
I don’t know, I think it resembled a Soviet knockoff of a love child of a Mercedes and a Packard.
I’m just sad that Packard couldn’t pull things together and prosper. Cadillac just whipped their butts and they just sat there and took it.
The front of the Mercedes prototype looks odd with its shortened grille and hooded lamps – it just doesn’t work for me. I do prefer the fintail nose with the Euro headlights, even though I am not in love with the fins.
The traditional element of Mercedes-Benz radiator grill is to flow down from the top to the bumper as to give the cohesive look. I feel the tombstone headlamps also lend the flowing appearance and reduce the visual mass.
That Packard-requested grill does appear like a wool sweater shrunk after being machine washed in hot water, giving the disjointed look. Just really odd.
In the first photo, the split window pane at the corners of the windshield looks odd. The headlight bezel is also odd and doesn’t flow with the fenders. I agree with Fratzog that it does have a Soviet-ized look. Maybe something Moscovitch or ZiL would have done?
it’s possible that the divided windshield was because it was undoubtedly cheaper to do this on a concept. I can’t imagine that being used on a production car of this era.
It looks like it might be an attempt to use the same glass for the windshield and backlight – it’s a three piece as well with what appears to be the same shape/curvature at the top corners as the front.
Quite right; I didn’t look closely enough. Odd, in more was than one.
Yeah, well, take a look at the windshield and dual A pillars of the new Fiat 500L.
Not sure why they did it, but it works for the Fiat. I guess It is a Euro thing, as the late 1930’s French Panhards also had the 3 sections of glass for the windshield too.
If ZIL was to produce a smaller-sized car, it could look almost similar to the W122, that’s true enough. The problem is… in reality it was built by Mercedes-Benz, not ZIL. What makes what you call “Sovietized look”… well… not so Soviet )
Soviet cars were often cruder that those produced by first-rate Western companies like Ford of GM, true. But there were as well many Western cars that looked as crude of even cruder. Moskvich produced rather elegant designs in the mid-60s, with some French/Italian look and very good fit-and-finish quality, it wasn’t their fault that they stayed in production up to mid-1990s with some nightmarish restyling.
Wow ~
A limo perhaps ? whatever i don’t think it would have sold many in the U.S.A. but it looks nice in any case .
-Nate
Keep in mind, this was built on Mercedes’ smallest platform. It would have been a 180/190/220.
Packard was the first automaker to offer air conditioning, in 1940. After the war they wouldn’t have this option again until 1954. This is just one small example of how Packard let their market position slip by (or just handed it on a platter to the competition). I don’t think a MB styled Packard would have helped.
Fascinating. I’ve never seen this concept, and the Packard styling cues are quite obvious.
Maybe this was something commissioned by the Chinese Hongqi…
That front end… inspiration for the Lark?
There was a Chinese knock off Mercedes of this model the horrendous styling would suit an emerging market rather than an existing one, Packard styling was another of its downfalls failing to keep up with then current trends.
this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_SH760#/media/File:1986_Shanghai_SH760.jpg
Yeah thats the critter but that looks later than another I saw but still shows a restyled pontoon Merc.
The latest Russian limo has a definite Request look to me. It’s not built by ZIL (Packard’s successor) but by a new company.
You can see it here:
http://rt.com/news/201875-russian-president-limo-engine/
Just three words: Not Going to Happen. Period. The NAMI involvement guarantees that – its a famous producer of things-that-don’t-go-into-production.
The photos of the Merc-ard look like one of those attempts to “disguise” a car’s brand, like in an insurance commercial. Or, like someone had a large bin of spare parts (that WEREN’T designed for a Mercedes) and was told to cobble together…something.
The Packard Request looks like Packard’s attempt to copy those old VWs with a Rolls-Royce hood/grille. Replace the hood, grille, and bumper, and viola…a regular Packard.
My first reaction was also Soviet-inspired, but more Chaika than ZIL. My second reaction was Catera, 40 years ahead of its time.
CC Effect. I’ve just submitted a piece that includes another W122 prototype. I can’t agree this ‘Packard’ face looks better than the W111, though. With the ovoid lights, the W111/W108 has one of the best faces ever.
Well, as this statement of mine produced some controversy, I should correct myself just a little bit: I was referring to a W111 with hooded headlights in lieu of ovoid-shaped or dual-stacked rather than the W112 as it was. Its design looks a bit out of proportion to me as well, and the platform is obviously too narrow / high for the late 1950s, something like a late-1950s Rambler. The W111 was much sleeker and modern-looking. Not a big fan of W111/108 front end treatment, though. But at least now we know how the Mercedes stylists came to it.
Nice find – i had not seen this before – too bad we can’t ask Dick Teague what (or if) he knew about this.
That drawing of the (W186) 300D in the Mercedes-Benz/Packard/Studebaker advertisement is amazingly beautiful.
I searched for web for an actual photograph, but somehow the car seems to lose something in the translation to reality. The roofline is not quite as sharp, I think
http://i45.servimg.com/u/f45/14/65/63/78/merc1503.jpg
As for the ‘Request’ well, here’s another vote for the styling of the Mercedes production version over the Packardized prototype. Still, I am a huge Packard fan and wish that they had survived as a sort of American-Mercedes so…..
Sigh – why is it that Americans always get stuck with nasty things like a Renault dressed up as an AMC or a Mitsubishi labeled as a Dodge or a Hillman labeled as a Plymouth Cricket, instead of nice things like a Mercedes labeled as a Packard?
If I’d not seen the above comments – I’d have assumed the photography was some kind of weird Photoshop mash-up. The flatter curvier MB grille does not really reappear in Mercedes styling ’till the appearance of the 1970’s S Class – but its definitely there.
If you want to see another production 3-piece windshield – see the 1948 Austin Atlantic – an English idea of a US automobile.
The Atlantic’s windshield is different in being comprised of three flat, rather than curved, sections. I believe this design feature mimicked the luxury cars of 1930s, like the Panhard Dynamic or Tatra T77, built before curved automotive glass became available. And the Atlantic’s body in general resembles a scaled-down version of pre-war coachbuilt luxury coupes built by Saoutchik, Figoni et Falaschi and the like.
I have always liked this model Packard. I also like the front end treatment of the Request. I had learned about this car about twenty years ago. It’s apparent that along with the first Edsels there was interest in the center upright grill which became all the rage in the 70s. Have you seen the Packard Predictor? Wow.
Long ago, I remember reading an article about the Stude-Benz connection. I think someone mocked up a GT Hawk with an MB grille, although maybe I dreamt that.
Imagine a revived Studebaker cashing in on the ’70s Benz trend, at the Big Three’s expense. I know at least one lawyer in Indianapolis who would have enjoyed that.
What engine was the W122 prototype to be powered by had it reached production?